Tag Archives | classes and events

I’ve taken a slightly different approach to my teaching schedule this summer than I have in past years. Instead of saying yes to everything and hustling to fill every moment of the canning season, my strategy is to teach fewer workshops in the hopes that I won’t feel entirely broken by the time the weather turns chilly.

So instead of having long lists of events appear here on the blog each week, I’m going to shine a spotlight on individual classes. First up is a pair of workshops at Hillsdale General StoreHome Chef that I’m teaching on Sunday, June 11. This lovely cooking school is located on the main street of Hillsdale, NY, across the street from the General Store location. They carry cookware, cutlery, homewares, cookbooks, and offer a robust schedule of cooking classes.

I taught a single class at HGS Home Chef last summer and was delighted by the community that they attract. This year, I’m teaching two classes. From 11 am to 1:30 pm, I’m teaching a water bath-focused class in which we’ll make traditional strawberry preserves and sweet and savory strawberry chutney.

Then, from 2:30-4:30 pm, I’m teaching a pressure canning workshop. I’ll demonstrate how to make a tasty onion and rosemary jam as well as how to safely preserve it (and other low acid foods) in a pressure canner.

Participants will leave these classes with knowledge, useful handouts, and sample jars of the preserves made in the workshops (I’ve also heard rumors about peanut butter and jam sandwiches). For those of you within spitting distance of Hillsdale, I’d love to have you join me!

After all that travel in April, I made the choice to stay closer to home for the month of May. You’ll find me throughout the Philadelphia region for a number of classes and free demos. There will be samples for tasting and books available for sale at all of these events. Mark your calendars and tell your friends!

Thursday, April 28 (Reading, PA!)
Join me for a canning demonstration and book signing at the Exeter Community Library. 6 pm. Free.

Monday, May 2 (Mullica Hill, NJ)
I’m doing a canning demo and book signing at the Mullica Hill branch of the Gloucester County Library system. 7 pm. Free. Sign up here.

Thursday, May 5 (Broomall, PA)
I’ll be at the Marple Public Library, offering up a canning demonstration. There will be a brief book signing to follow. 6:30 pm. Free.

Tuesday, May 10 (Horsham, PA)
You’ll find me at the Horsham Township Library at 7 pm, showing you how to make jam with natural sweeteners. There will be a brief book signing to follow. Sign up here!

Thursday, May 19 (Easton, PA)
I’ll be at the brand new Easton Public Market, teaching a hands on canning and preserving class. We’ll make a batch of Strawberry Cocoa Jam from start to finish and all participants will go home with a small jar of jam. 7-9 pm. $45. Register here.

Saturday, May 21 (Hanover Township, PA) You’ll find me at Dundee Gardens, offering a demo-style canning class. I’ll show you how to make a batch of Strawberry Cocoa Jam, and will get you ready to go home and make a batch yourself! 11 am. More info and registration.

Tuesday, May 24 (Franklin Township, NJ)
Find me at Franklin Township Library at 6:30 pm, for a canning demonstration and book signing.

Tomorrow morning, I’m packing up my canning gear and hitting the road again. This time, I’m heading south to Washington, D.C., for a pair of canning demonstrations at the United States Botanical Garden. On Saturday, I’ll be demonstrating a small batch of tomato jam* and Sunday, I’ll be making pear vanilla jam. Both demos are from 12 noon – 1 pm and are entirely free (there’s no charge to visit the Gardens either). If you live in the D.C. area, I’d love to see some of you there.

In other class news, October is turning into the month of Pear Vanilla Jam classes. I’m teaching this recipe four times. It’s one of my favorite preserves, so I’m entirely delighted by this turn of events. On October 2, I’m at Pennypack Farm in Horsham. Saturday, October 6, I’m teaching an Indy Hall version of the class (email me to sign up for that one). October 13, I’m at Greensgrow and on October 18, I’m at the Whole Foods Market in Plymouth Meeting, PA.

I know it sounds repetitive to teach the same recipe so many times, but the way I see it is the recipe is just the vehicle that gives us the opportunity to get into the nitty gritty of canning. While I have a mental list of all the things I plan on covering in the class, each session is guided by the questions and problems you all bring to the table. No class is ever identical, which makes it fun for me and interesting for my repeat students.

This spring, summer and fall, in addition bouncing around the country in support of my cookbook and teaching a small slate of Indy Hall classes (dates coming soon), I’ll also be partnering with Greensgrow (located in the Kensington neighborhood of Philadelphia) on a series of canning classes in their Community Kitchen.

These classes cost $35 (a bargain!) and are held on Saturdays (see below for times). Everyone takes home the recipe and a small jar of what we make. There’ll be an opportunity to get hands on with the produce as well. Just make sure to wear comfortable shoes, as in these classes, there’s no space to sit.

Every time I announce my class schedule, I hear from bunches of you that you wish I could come and teach a class in your town. This summer, I’m going to be doing a bunch of traveling and teaching as a way to help promote my book and hopefully, I’ll be able to make a few of your wishes come true.

The first firmed up, official book-type dates I have to announce are those in Seattle in early June. On Sunday, June 10 at 11 am, I’ll be at the Book Larder, doing a canning demo and book signing.

Then, on Monday, June 11 and Tuesday, June 12, I’ll be at The Pantry at Delancey, teaching a pair of identical classes that will feature four recipes/canning skills. We’ll be making gingered pickled sugar snap peas, slightly spicy pickled asparagus, rosemary rhubarb jelly (you can see the jam version of that recipe above) and strawberry vanilla jam. Those classes are filling up fast, so make sure to reserve your spot soon.

For those of you who don’t live in Seattle, I’m also currently working on events in Portland, Eugene, San Francisco, LA, Austin, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington, DC.

If your city isn’t on the list and you want me to come to your town, let me know. Because I’m funding this tour entirely on my own, what I’m trying to do is schedule pairs of paid classes and free events everywhere I go so as to help cover costs. If you can help me find ways to make that work, I’d love to hear from you.

On Saturday, December 3, come make cranberry marmalade with me at Indy Hall in Old City Philadelphia. Class is from 11 am to 1 pm and will include snacks of bread, goat cheese and jam. Since this class is so close to the holidays, we’ll be canning our marmalade up in 4 ounce jars, so that each attendee with take home two jars of the marm – one for gifting and one to keep.

Class fee is $45 and includes snacks, jars of jam and a copy of the recipe. To sign up, email me at foodinjars AT gmail . com.